Hey hi. It’s September. Our friends are talented. We’ve got new music videos out the wazzoo for you. Briston Maroney, James Arthur, and Mike Posner are all in the roundup, along with some new names and faces that we just adore! Check out the soundtrack now, and head back over all month for new additions!
![band of silver, “little talks” [of monsters and men]](https://imperfectfifth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/1-1080x675.jpg)
Nashville-based pop/rock trio Band of Silver – comprised of siblings Avery, Alex, and Evan Silvernagel – releases the video for their cover of “Little Talks” by Of Monsters and Men today. We’ve got your first look, and it’s a fun one. A gorgeous song in its own right, Band of Silver decided to add a little more rock guitar and an exponential amount of energy to the track, leaving us moving and grooving a little bit more. Shot beautifully and simply in a warehouse setting, this video also delivers a hint of what the band’s live stage presence is like. In fact, it’s that captivating stage presence that led to this video. Expands the collective:
A few months ago, we saw The Sweet Lizzy Project perform “Little Talks” at Bourbon Street. The crowd really lit up when the song started and we thought, “Hey, we have a male and female singer. We could cover this.” The band did a great job, but we wanted to make our rendition different from theirs as well as the original. We thought it would be fun to mess around with signature melody by playing it on keyboard and guitar rather than horns. Every time I hear this song, it brings me back to art class my sophomore year of high school. Our teacher would play music while we worked, and this is one of the songs I remember most distinctly.
Keep up with Band of Silver here.
With this freshest release, songwriter Jeremy Ferrara sounds as if he’s lived through his own life a few times before, only to come out wiser. Melancholy, observational, yet still bright; “This Trouble” weaves influences both sedentary and explorative, sketching a freewheeling character borne from folk-rock classics such as Bob Dylan, The Allman Brothers, and Wilco. Twangy electric guitar leads stir Ferrara’s migration on to the next place he’ll call home, while sporadic trickles of piano fall like midmorning rain. “This Trouble” breathes of Ferrara’s desire to roam. He sings, “Like the weather in south California, some things they never change.” Though nature cycles without end, this letter to venturing peaks with a compelling guitar solo that is an essential, fulfilling catharsis.
Ferrara has a growing accruement of EPs and singles released, with 16 total tracks released over a two-year span.
Tour Dates
9/5 – The Liquor Store
9/26 – Kreuzberg California
9/29 – MadeWest Brewing Company
10/4 – Neck Of the Woods
10/5 – Shanty Shack Brewing
10/10 – Bunk Bar
Follow Jeremy Ferrara here.
Indie pop artist Jon Hill is dropping his new single “Human” today from Broken Record Co. Featuring as the title track on his upcoming EP, this emotional yet simplistic track offers relief from the demons behind our eyelids and allows us to not feel so alone for a while. Opening the track with piano chords instantly places the listener in the world of Hill and sets the stage for the addition of an electronic bass beat around the 20-second mark pushing the song forward toward the rest of the track. Stacatto style singing during the bridge breaks up the smooth and flowing chorus to provide added emphasis on the message of the song and Hill’s dreamy voice folds the listener within its velvety grasp. Keeping the lyrics to a minimum, Hill allows the listener to get lost in the song instead of their head. From the opening piano to the closing beats, this song is an emotional ride that shines a light on the struggles we all face being human, reminding us it’s okay to not be perfect.
Be sure to check out this wonderful new song and give Hill a follow on social media such as Instagram.
The newest single from Swedish singer/songwriter Naah and producer C. Gold, titled “Electric Life”, features sparkling melodies that are mellow, bubbly, and counter-intuitive. But, while the track’s sonic mood is neutral or even optimistic, the lyrics give way to the contemporary lament of many across generations: “Electric Life” mourns a decline in meaningful social interactions caused by constant distractions from ever-present smartphones. This theme of sounding happy despite experiencing discontent, paired with bouncy synth-pop, draws musical reference to Paramore’s After Laughter, perhaps crossed with the vocal stylings of HAIM.
The track opens to the sound of a record needle being set into place, in longing for the days preceding digital streaming. A distorted electric guitar twangs sparingly, a kick drum thumps reassuringly, and floaty synth glides behind Naah’s smooth alto, building calculated suspense before breaking into the glittery, full-bodied chorus: “You can try not to care / But I’m missing human eye contact / Can you Google that? / I’m tired of electric life”. On the word “life”, Naah’s glossy vocals send the song soaring into an open sky of glitchy playfulness, each syllable mimicking the familiar sounds of electro-pop production.
In the second half of the song, Naah makes a point that feels familiar to Millenials and Gen Zs alike. Since the conception of the smartphone and social media, people from these age demographics have heard the tireless criticism of communication technology from their elders. In “Electric Life”, Naah defends the stance of younger people while still acknowledging the burden of facing the world as it exists in the modern 21st century. She sings, “Hold on, let’s get back to where they come from / They say we’re sad because of the digital / But the world wasn’t this messed up when they grew up / It’s not the same for us.”
“Electric Life” is the kind of thought-provoking bop the world could use a few more of. Here’s to Naah and C. Gold for calling it like it is.
Follow Naah here and keep up with C. Gold here.
August has been a beautiful, hot, wonderful month and we are so grateful to have so much new art available to us! We continue our monthly installment of the visual soundtrack, a Youtube playlist of new music videos that we love! Most – if not all – of these videos were released this month, so if you’re looking for new releases, this is your most up-to-date list. Check it out daily for the rest of the month for new additions, and come back anytime to relive August 2019!
August has been a fascinating month for music. More so than ever, we have heard soundscapes diversify into such different categories, keeping our minds busy with guessing games of what’s to come. But while we suss all of that out, it’s time to enjoy this soundtrack with a collection of our favorite new tracks of August 2019. Playlist artists include Blandlord, Young Guv, Mike Posner, Wiz Khalifa, James Vickery, the bird and the bee, Fox and Bones, and more. Check back all month for more additions to the feature!
Set to release on August 8, “Cold” by Boy in Space is a great new R&B track that packs a mighty punch in the depth of its lyrics. With opening sounds reminiscent of a lullaby, this song will launch you deep into your feelings, “Both you and me no we gotta let it go/ Laying on the ground wondering why it’s so cold”. Deeply questioning the problems in a relationship, there is something we can all relate to with this track.
For fans of Fletcher, SHY Martin, or Chelsea Cutler there is a lot to look forward to here with Boy in Space. His R&B meets pop culture sound will have him on the up and up for many years to come, so be sure to keep up with him here.
“Live It Up”, the newest single from LA up-and-comer James Delaney, opens to the playful bounce of a video-game bop and a twinkling tropicality – but don’t let that fool you. A closer listen reveals an ennui that borders on ironic.
To clue you in, the very first lyrics paint a picture of a certain brand of indulgence that feels very 2019: “We’ve been wasting time getting high and watching shitty tv shows / Feeling comatose in our dirty clothes.” Split right down the middle, the lyrical content of “Live It Up” resorts to indulgence and lethargy to escape life stress; while sonically, it’s neutrally cheery – a notion that is paralleled in the song’s structure, as the verses bear the weight of Delaney’s approach. Radiating synth and an unchanging mellow tempo meet Delaney’s clear-cut chorus, ringing with a might-as-well attitude: “Live it up, live it up, live it up.” The last few bars close out on a sax solo, whose hum suggests that Delaney is already off to follow his own advice.
Keep up with James Delaney here.